Subject: Geography Section B: Living world Tropical rainforests—Amazon case study
Section A: Key Vocabulary
Tier 2
Section B: Case study—Amazon Rainforest Section C: Case study—Amazon rainforest
Definition
vocabulary
Causes of deforestation (% of damage caused) Strategies to manage development
The variety of life in the world or a
Biodiversity (n) Subsistence farming (20-25%) Commercial farming (65-80%)
particular habitat. Selective logging and replanting
Many indigenous people farm Cattle ranching is popular–
•Only fell fully grown trees on 30 – 40 year
Deforestation The chopping down and removal of trees in this way. Each farm is small. around 200 million cattle.
to clear an area of forest. cycle •Replanting – collect seeds from primary
(v)
forest; grow in nurseries and replant •Forest
Logging (2-3%) Road building (minimal) Stewardship Council – mark sustainably sourced
The business of cutting down trees and
Logging (v) Trees such as mahogany are 4,000km Tras-Amazonian timber
transporting the logs to sawmills.
very valuable to sell. Highway connects the Brazilian
The removal of solid mineral resources coast to Peru and Colombia
from the earth. These resources include Conservation and education
ores, which contain commercially valuable Mineral extraction (minimal) Energy development •Education of locals key •WWF (NGO) – education;
Mineral train conservation workers; provide practical help;
amounts of metals, such as iron and Gold, Iron ore and copper are (minimal)
extraction (v) aluminium; precious stones, such as mined. Balbina hydroelectric dam buy threatened areas and set up nature reserves
diamonds; building stones, such as granite; Deep pit mines are dug flooded 2,400km² of forest
and solid fuels, such as coal and oil shale.
Removal of topsoil faster than it can be Settlement and Population growth (minimal)
Soil erosion (n) replaced, due to natural (water and wind As populations grow through natural increase and migration there
Ecotourism
action), animal, and human activity. is an increasing need for homes, this increases pressure to
•Minimises damage to environment and benefits
Actions and forms of progress that meet deforest areas for settlements.
Sustainability locals •Small visitor numbers •Waste and litter
the needs of the present without reducing
(n) the ability of future generations to meet Impacts of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest disposed of properly •Locals employed so incentive
their needs. to preserve environment
Economic development Soil erosion
Tier 3 •Brings in jobs and in- •Land left unprotected from
Definition
vocabulary come •Destroys resources in heavy rain leads to landslides
International agreements about
Commercial Farming to sell produce for a profit to the long term •Livelihoods of and flooding •Nutrients are
use of tropical hardwoods
farming (v) retailers or food processing companies. locals destroyed •2008 $6.9 washed away decreasing nutri-
•International Tropical Trade Agreement 2006 and
Countries are relieved of some of their billion from cattle •Rubber ents in the soil •Rivers silt up
Debt reduction 2011 – restricts trade in hardwood from
debt in return for protecting their tappers lost jobs •Mercury
(v) rainforests •Needs to be felled from sustainably
rainforests. from gold mining poisons fish
managed areas and stamped with registration
Responsible travel to natural areas that
Contribution to climate Others numbers •UN Sustainable development goals
conserves the environment, sustains the
change •Loss of biodiversity - 137 spe- include protection of forests
wellbeing of the local people, and may
Ecotourism (n) •Trees cut down change the cies a day •Loss of indigenous
involve education. It is usually carried out
in small groups and has minimal impact on water cycle and make it drier tribes (90 since 1990) •Tribal
the local ecosystem. and warmer •Rainforests are people moving to towns and Debt reduction
the lungs of the earth and so cities and have drugs and alco- •Debt for nature swops – in 2010 USA converted
The cutting out of trees which are mature
Selective when deforested there is ore hol issues. Loss of indigenous debt of $13.5 million from Brazil and used the funds
or inferior, to encourage the growth of the
logging (v) carbon dioxide in the air and knowledge •Conflicts between to protect the rainforest •HICs wipe off debts of
remaining trees in a forest or wood.
less oxygen. Burning also re- developers and indigenous debts of LICs
A type of agriculture producing food and leases carbon to the air people
Subsistence
materials for the benefit only of the farmer (Greenhouse effect)
farming (v) and his family.
